Welcome to the Surface
by Kaeru Lapin
Summary: Toriel and the others discover that all these years there were monsters already living in the surface. How is this possible? Why did Frisk hide this information from them? [Post true pacifist ending after a genocide route]. Cover by SylveonChan.
1. Overtaken by the oddity

**Disclaimer: Undertale belongs to TobyFox and all the magnific people who worked in that amazing project. I'm just borrowing their ideas and concepts to make something that gives me no economic gain.**

 **[[Welcome to the surface]]**

 **1\. Overtaken by the oddity**

As the group of monsters went downside the mountain, something was quite off. They crossed paths with some humans hiking. No one berated seeing monsters in the surface. Undyne mentioned that maybe the hikers were so though they could not afford showing they surprise, but when two high school girls making an evening stroll passed beside the monsters, the later started to fret. Asgore considered humans had a short lifespan it was likely that the most of them would have never seen a monster in their lives, this made things easier for him as he wanted to give a good first impression. That's why the king had asked everyone to look as unthreatening as possible. He even went the extra mile to go back and change his attire to a simple cotton t-shirt and shorts. Eventually three duck monsters and a Cyclops with lots of tentacles walked beside them in the opposite direction.

"IT SEEMS SOME OTHER MONSTERS WENT OUT BEFORE US." Papyrus was a little disappointed for not being the first. This made Toriel wonder from where could those monsters could have possibly left, if the barrier entrance was behind the throne room in New Home.

"Th-that's highly improbable. I—We… we were s-suppose to be right beside the entrance." Alphys followed Toriel's train of thought. "We could…. I mean… we should have noticed if s-someone crosses it."

Toriel looked down at Frisk, as always it was hard to read her child's emotion through that plain face. But a slightly open mouth gave her the hint to think that maybe the child was as surprised as the others. When they felt the eyes of Toriel on them, Frisk looked up at her and smiled reassuringly.

"We can come down this way." The little one pulled Toriel's paw. The rest of the monsters followed.

When they reached the base of the mountain, the feeling of bewilderment had taken over them. They had walked by a country road for about half an hour. During the lapse, several cars have passed by without glancing at them, a couple of those driven by monsters. Toriel kept the discovery to herself out of sheer confusion. Frisk was in dead silence, concentrated in guiding everyone to a much-populated area. By this point, everyone had noticed something was wrong, but it was until when reaching a crowded street that Toriel uttered the question hovering over the group.

"What is this?" She stated as her gaze waltzed from across the street towards the end of the line. Things had changed a lot since the last time she had been in the surface, she had heard from one of the last souls before Frisk that the humans had built skyscrapers, and vehicles with the speed of hundred of horses, and of course, she had a hint that her old phone was way far from the newest models. But God why, from all the oddities she was ready to witness, this one had to be the one she could never imagine.

She looked at Frisk, the child holding her hand seemed oblivious to her inner struggle. Sans was right beside her, but the black void in his eyes delivered an impossible-to-decrypt reaction. Furthermore, the other monster seemed flabbergasted as well. She could but to wonder once again "What's happening here?" this time in silent powder.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT, WHILE WE WERE DISCUSSING WITH THE HUMAN ALL THE OTHERS OVERTOOK US" Finally, Papyrus expressed what the rest had not been able to describe, although his naïve nature did not let him convey the problem.

"Paps, do you know any of those guys?" Undyne prompted, aware that she already knew the answer. None of the eight monsters that had just come up to the surface knew the monsters walking alongside the street. Holding their cappuccino macchiato, yelling from their huge cars, walking their own dog!?

"OF COURSE I KNOW SOME OF THEM, THAT'S THE GIRL WHO SELLS TRASH IN THE ALLEY" He pointed to a lizard monster who was just passing before them, the aforementioned did not take the comment well.

"How did ya callme, sack o' bones?" In fact, the lizard reeked an attitude of up-to-no-good. He walked towards the lanky skeleton cracking his knuckles, almost chewing his cigarette butt. She knew this was not going to end well, but before she could react, things went once again unexpected.

"I'M SORRY. EVEN SOMEONE LIKE ME CAN MAKE A MISTAKE. ALTOUGH YOU LOOK EXACTLY LIKE A GIRL I KNOW." Papyrus had started his apologize when the other monster picked him up by the scarf. When the stranger directed his fist at mere inches of Papyrus' face, his soul turned blue. Toriel could notice the glint of carnage coming from Sans' right eye.

"Whoa, what da hell man? Chill!" the lizard raised both hands while retreating, a couple of monster bunnies and a human looked at them. Some other people and monsters walking around casually noticed the fight and decided to turn away and run.

In some moment, the lizard decided to reach for something in his jeans pockets. Sans reacted by slamming the monster on the concrete. Of course, he only dealt one point of damage, but this was enough to trigger a human woman screaming for help.

The next second people and monsters were rampant on the street, desperate to get away from the newcomers. The cars stopped due to the passerbyers ignoring the street signs, some of the drivers abandoned their vehicles on the spot to join the rest of scared people.

"What's going on?" Toriel listened Undyne under the panicked screams.

"Th-there must be s-so-something that distressed them?" Doctor Alphys stuttered, her small body crumbled the closest possible to the captain of the royal guards to prevent the horde to stomp on her. Toriel picked up Frisk on her arms, and even thought she should not, she felt grateful of Asgore's huge mass protecting them from being shoved.

"Sans, let him go!" Frisk rumbled from her arms with the usual benevolence.

"Dude, da kid's right." The lizard monster whose soul had turned blue was begging for mercy, considering his level of violence his reluctance to fight was more a matter of principles. "You are only one HP and I don't want trouble."

The skeleton sighted, and listened to Frisk. The very next instant the lizard's soul turned white again, the guy stood up took his leave like a possessed. The eight monsters found themselves alone again, this time on the surface. Or so they thought. The sound of sirens getting louder and louder alerted them that the worse was about to happen.

A couple of black and white cars parked before them. A knot formed in Toriel's throat upon seeing people getting down with both hands holding guns, pointing their weapons at them. And as the officers asked them raise their hands and abandon all attempt to use magic, the everlasting question played in loop inside her head. She looked at Frisk holding the fur of her arms expecting the child could decode her expression and provide some answers to "what is happening?"

 **Author's note: Welp, recently I played undertale and the next moment I was swallowed by the fandom. I haven't read anything from AO3 because I found the amount of stories humongous! But out here I didn't find anything about a paceful life in the surface, so that's the premise of this story. I hope you enjoy this little cute story, all kind of opinions are welcomed.**


	2. Reprimanded by the order

**Disclaimer: Undertale belongs to Toby Fox, this fanfiction is made for free.**

 **[[Welcome to the surface]]**

 **2\. Reprimanded by the order**

The police took them to the Station for some questioning. Frisk was separated from Toriel by a rude ghostly lady who told her that she was going to investigate the relationship the monster had with the child, after the explanation of how they had met didn't seem to convince her. As she was a 'boss monster', they put her with Asgore in a different room from the one for the others. They only had a line of green cushioned chairs against the wall, the size didn't allow much place between them. She was too confused to be mad at him, so when the poor guy sent her a condescending smile she just nodded.

"Did you know any of this?" She tried to sound as if she was talking to a friend.

"No, how come there were monsters on the surface if the barrier was still in place?" By cueing the question, Asgore just reminded her that he was not the shiniest spoon in the cutlery.

Apparently Sans was behind the bars, and the rest was obligated to pay a fine for taking him out. As they lead her to a small office, with on a small chair in front of a desk full to the brim with files, she noticed by the window a couple of friends from the underground, Froggit and Whismur entering the station. The slime lady lead them to a chair and apparently asked them to wait. Minutes later a lean, redhead man entered the office with another file on his hand. He seemed in a hurry as he scammed the information while talking at the same time.

"Miss Deermur… is that how you pronounce it?" he did not let her correct him "we had talked with Mister Sans and it seems everything is a huge misunderstanding. We are aware of your 'change of situation', and it will not be long before it becomes a hit to the press so I will not overwhelm you with questions. Even thought you must know that in Cebark, and on the surface in general, we have a policy of peace. Monsters aren't allowed to use magic to harm just because, and us humans aren't allowed to harm monsters, and other humans by extension. Do you understand? I hurt someone out of an agreed battle, kill someone, I go to prison. You kill someone, you hurt someone, you go to prison –not custody suite like your friend here, 'cause thankfully the kid stopped him. As easy as it gets, it's the same for everyone. Any questions?"

"Where is my child?" Not taken aback by the hash explanation, Toriel had patiently waited for the opportunity to talk the entire length of the officer's discourse.

"Frisk is fine. It's a great child, assuming ambassador's task at such age! Right now the kid must be talking to the Mayor, I heard is looking for a place to accommodate you all. It's amazing what that youngster has done for you. I won't miss the interviews on TV." The officer searched a free space in his cramped astray to land his cigarette butt, but no avail. He put it on the pile with no interest of cleaning it in the near time. "Now if you excuse me Miss Dremurr, I have a couple of rounds to do in town since your kin keep coming from Mt. Ebott to here. I heard you are going to be put in a Community center for the time being, talk to Miss Jolly for more information."

"But…"

"I may contact you later for identify the monsters that come from the underground."

"I need to see the child."

"Talk to Jolly, as I said. Tell her Officer Prance sent you." The officer stood up to shook her pawn with both hands, she could feel the determination in his hazel eyes. She felt obliged to stand up as well and soon he was leading her to the door. "Perhaps I'm the first to say it but, welcome to Cebark."

He almost slam the door, but two seconds later he emerged again to add.

"And don't worry for Mister Sans, your husband already paid his bail." He shuttered inside his office once again.

"My… husband?"

 **Author note: Cebark is a completely fictional name I came through a name generator. I guess it doesn't exist in real life? :/**

 **I don't like very long chapters, so this one and the next were supposed to be one.**


	3. Enlightened in history lessons

**Disclaimer: Undertale and its caracters belong to Toby Fox. The OCs are my creation. This is a fictional story made with not economic gain. Spoilers from the Pacifist and Genocide ending ahead.**

 **[[Welcome to the surface]]**

 **3\. Enlightened in history lessons  
**

Officer Prance was right. They had put them in a community center, all of them. More monsters came along the day. Humans and surface monsters came along also, they donated money, clothing, food, and sleeping bags for the newcomers. But she hasn't seen Frisk ever since. It was as if the papers have changed completely. Back in the Ruins she was worried sick for the safety of the child, and now it was the child who was doing the best for ensuring the safety of the monsters. Even if she didn't understand why there were monsters here before the barrier was broken, it somewhat warmed her heart knowing that both races could live so peacefully. She had always fret that the moment they accomplished their escape from the cave, people would slaughter them just as they did with Asriel, and the mere idea formed tears on the corner of her eyes. However everything was different, not even in her wildest dreams she had aspired such lovely reception from the villagers. Asgore tried to start a conversation with her a couple of times, she was way to mad to even want to talk to him. She could not believe the King, saying that she was still his wife was scandalous! The others accustomed to their new situation with a soothing ease. Thanks to the eagerness of the monster child, Undine had become a celebrity amongst the young ones on the spot, she had a thing for looking cool in every situation. Reluctantly, Alphys was giving her fifth interview on the day, the media found her hesitation and awkwardness adorable. Papyrus occupied himself with the organization of the welcoming, from arranging donations to serving the food –they did not let him cook, for some reason. He had almost immediately befriended a group of skeletons with a boy. They seemed inseparable as if they had been friends for life. As for Sans, he was nowhere to be seen. He has not showed up even if Toriel knew they had freed him from jail. It may have been almost a day that they had met finally in person, but she was already missing his presence.

"Is this spot taken?" An old ostrich like monster pointed with its claw to the crumbled blanked beside her. Toriel has not seen her before, she assumed it was a monster from the surface.

"Please help yourself."

"These old bones, I've been up and down all day." The ostrich arranged the blanket in nest form before sitting on the center. "You are the Queen, I assume?"

"Not anymore. You can call me Toriel."

"My name is Bocco, nice to meet you."

"Excuse me if it sounds estrange coming from me but I have not had the opportunity to ask." Toriel paused to see if the lady was listening, but also because the question has bulged in her so much that it was hard to put in words. When the lady tilted her beck prompting her to continue, Toriel decided she was going to be blunt "How much time have monsters lived in the surface? What happened after the war?"

"You really are a boss monster, aren't cha? I hatched some time after the war, I was lucky. To be honest with you, darling, I don't know more than what the history books tell. That the war ended with a truce of peace in the year 191X."

"Who signed it?" Toriel was terrified, that was a couple of years after the humans sealed them in the caves. Who could imagine that if they had stood their situation a little more, everything would be better, and they could had been spared from all the suffering and incertitude they lived underground.

"Hum, let me remember. It was the Litenaunt Perkins and the Captain Garguglia… no, the human's name was Hickins."

Toriel had known Garguglia. She remembers Asgore telling her that the Captain had died in combat. Her frustration crawled up by her skin. She shook the head as tears stared to pour.

"I'm sorry but, I can't stop them" the sight of her own crying face ashamed Toriel, but the old ostrich was not taken aback. More so, she handed down a handkerchief using the beck. Toriel thanked her, still trying to contain her sadness. She had to say it aloud. "It's just… If the world had been in peace for so long, what meant our hiding then? Why Asriel is dead? Why Chara is dead?"

"Asriel? Chara?" the purple eyes of Bocco shone in realization "Ohmigod! You are not Queen Toriel Dreemurr, are you? Goodness, it's an honor meeting your majesty I… Tori, can I call you Tori?"

"I rather… no" the memory of the nickname Asgore used with her at least revolted her so much that it help stop the tears. "Please call me Toriel. I'm no longer a Queen."

"Aye aye, not a Queen. Listen, Toriel, what happened to your sons was horrible. It's the reason Hickins decided to sign the truce. Not all the monsters were sealed in Mt. Ebott, the ones that were kept prisoner were released. My parents were in the bunch. As I said, I was lucky."

"Look grandma, I got you some muffins" the lanky boy Toriel had seen accompanying Papyrus came along with the hands full of treats. He was wearing a curious black outfit decorated with bones in such way that made him look like a naked skeleton.

"Sweetheart, those are for the refugees. Why don't you offer some to my friend Toriel here?"

"Sup. Want some?" but he did not 'offer' any, he simply displayed them slightly like implying she had to reach out if she wanted one.

"Show some respect! She used to be a Queen."

"Lasso, those muffins are the payment for us four". The other two skeletons arrived, one had a built constitution and the other was slightly shorter than the human teenager was. Papyrus was still with them. "We've finish volunteering for today Grandma. Thanks for waiting for us."

"Nah, I didn't have anything to do at home today. Toriel, these kids are my grandsons, you already know Lasso. These two rascals are Dodge and Wand."

"That's mean, grandma. Nice to meet you." Wand shook her hand. She was a girl, judging from the constitution and voice pitch. She was also wearing a shirt adorned with ribs, this one with a cartoon heart trapped and a huge arrow pointing at it besides the text 'you are here' on it. The third boy wore more or less plain clothes, excepting some black gloves that, once again, had bony hands printed on them.

"AND I'M THE GREAT PAPYRUS" Toriel's friend intervened, presenting himself even thought everyone in the room including Bocco, had already crossed paths with him.

 **Author's Note: As this story is about the underground's monsters life in the surface, it was impossible to keep going without introducing OCs. I tried my best to make them interesting, what do you think of them?**


	4. Overjoyed by the reception

**Disclaimer: Undertale, its concepts and characters belong to Toby Fox. Altough this fiction introduces some OC created by me.**

 **[[Welcome to the surface]]**

 **4\. Overjoyed by the reception**

It was particular how much Toriel's humor had varied in a single day. From confusion to worry, towards spite, hatred, and sadness. Now she was laughing out loud with everyone, like she had done those old days when she sat beside the Ruins' door telling bad jokes with Sans.

"Papyrus, have you seen Sans recently?"

"OF COURSE I HAD. I JUST SAW HIM A MOMENT AGO."

Toriel's heart sank a little thinking that the shortest skeleton might avoid her for more time.

"Where is he?"

"ON TV," Papyrus pointed some other room down the corridor "THE HUMAN -OUR HUMAN MADE HIM TO GIVE A PUBLIC APOLOGY. AN EXCELLENT IDEA IF I'D SAY SO MYSELF. BUT FRET NOT ASGORE'S CLONE, AS FRISK IS COMING THIS EVENING TO CELEBRATE WITH US OUR COMING TO THE SURFACE."

"Golly, my child is coming?" She stood up filled with new determination. The two surface skeletons jolted with the sudden realization of her size, everyone were so small whenever she was standing. The human teenager did not move an inch. Bocco reprimanded them for their lack of manners, herself standing was still a head shorter than Toriel.

"Well we are not staying for the party." Bocco stretched cracking her conjunctures, the three grandsons moaned, "Oh hush, I have to rest my old bones."

"take care of yourself, we wouldn't want you to get _bone tired_." Sans said. Now it was Toriel who jolted. She never noticed when her friend had come right beside her. She didn't mention this since the others looked at him like he had been there the whole conversation. Toriel fretted she had been disrespectful for not seeing him before.

"SAAAANS" Papyrus retorted how he used to.

"As I said, I don't deserve this kind of _pun_ -isment." Bocco guffawed as she left the room with her family walking behind. Papyrus groaned upon realizing she had was also following his brother's jokes.

"I'm… so happy that you are here" Again, Toriel was having trouble with the words "did they hurt you in the imprisonment?"

"nah, they just asked me a bunch of questions. asgore paid my bail and they let me go with a warning in about an hour." The short skeleton shrugged.

"Then, where have you been?"

"SANS HAS BEEN GUARDING THE HUMAN, THERE IS NO OTHER EXPLANATION. IT IS WHAT A SENTRY DOES"

"you've got me Paps, although i was more like a _chapebone_ here."

"SAAAANS."

Toriel was laughing again. It was hard to explain, but things were less wary having Sans around. And just when she thought it could not get better, Mettaton slammed open the doors of the community center. A multitude of people following the robot came in, cameras shooting flashes here and there.

In the center of the crowd, Toriel recognized the little child in stripped blue sweater. Her feet moved by themselves to hug the kid, it did not matter she had to move aside several humans and monsters to reach her child. Frisk at first seemed startled, but returned the hug almost instantly. There was an 'awww' sound from the expectators, followed by a downpour of flashes.

A human woman in the middle age pushed her way through the people to point a microphone at the ex queen's snout. Many others copied the action. Everyone trying to pose questions at the same time, strartled Toriel, who wanted politely to answer as soon as she could figure out to who address first. Mettaton came to the rescue, dispersing the crowd under the promise that everyone could get an interview if they leave them some air. The woman who approached first slid her way under the robot's arms to reach a second time Toriel, microphone still pointing like a dagger.

"Lisa Paddle, from channel FBC1" she presented herself "is it true that you were planning to hold captive Frisk for life?"

From all the interrogations she had expected, that one was certainly unforeseen. The wording was so mean spirited that the ex queen was startled to answer, since anything she could say would sound as she was the villain.

"Yes, she tried" Frisk answered in her place, their childlish face full of seriousness changed instantly into a smug wink "but I told you my heart already belonged to you."

The reporter chuckled. Frisk didn't let her go on, the child had an entire repertoy of flity one liners. After a couple of aborted attemps, the reported had to five up. She nodded a polite thanks and left them to the rest.

"way to entice her, kiddo" Sans manifested once again beside them "but i would _lock_ that charm for more important _rep-courters._ "

With all the work for relocating them, Frisk had been the busiest kid in the city. Despite Toriel's desire to stay by Frisk's side, Metatton convinced her the child had to do this alone. A pang of sadness hit Toriel upon realizing that her child needed her less of what she wanted.

Some more monsters had come to the community center in the span of the night. The fact that Toriel was the queen spread like gunpowder, and soon all kind of monsters came to the sleeping bag that she had claimed as her place to show their respects. Because of this she was not allowed to help as she would like to, every time she offered a hand the other monsters treated her as the queen, sparing her for all those 'menial tasks'. The boss monster went tired of repeating she was no longer a queen, not in the underground and certainly not there in the surface.

Even Asgore seemed have made himself useful by organizing meetings with the surface monsters. Metatton had successfully scheduled interviews for the next weeks, which meant that after the long journey, the monsters from the underground could finally take a break.

After that brisk hug they shared, Toriel and Frisk had had barely talk to each other. Her child had to attend another meeting and upon coming back, the little one was so battered that their lids closed like a shutter once they put the head on the pillow. Sans had decided to nap on the nest made out of blankets left by Bocco.

For Toriel, who had spent several decades in the ruins all by herself, the place was full to the brim with new faces. She was not sure of which ones came from the underground and which lived in the surface. On that matter, it was hard to believe all of them lived now in the surface, as everything was a silly dream and she was about to wake up. The insecurity settled on when the center turned off the lights. The darkness was not different from the one she was used to have in the underground. It gave the same eerie feeling of incertitude and offered the best opportunity to fear.

 **Author's Note: Oh Toriel, you worry so much.**

 **Review please? :)**


	5. Upset by the tragedy

**Disclaimer: Undertale belongs to Toby Fox.**

 **[[Welcome to the surface]]**

 **5.** **Upset by the tragedy**

She looked at Frisk again. The child's bob was the only visible thing out of the sleeping bag the organizers had given them. By moving aside a strand of hair Toriel could admire their yellow sleeping face, thus it was hard to discern if the young was in fact sleeping when the eyes were but slides. She turned then to Sans. The skeleton was so small that almost his entire body fit in the crumpled nest-blanket. A couple of feet away, Papyrus slept too, making a soundly 'nyhe hee hee' from time to time. Toriel sighted.

"what's the matter toriel?" Sans muttered, eyes sockets still closed "can't catch any z's?"

"My apologies, did I wake you up? It

's nothing important. I am… I am going to give a stroll. Could you look after Frisk for a while?"

"you know what? i may as well get me some fresh air. hope you don't mind if i tag-along." Sans stretched, cracking some bones in the process.

Toriel gave a last glance at Frisk. Her worries raised thinking of leaving the little one alone again. Nevertheless, she eased her mind by understanding that the kid had more friends and that they could watch over their safety in any case. Perhaps she could act a little more egoistically.

"On the contrary, I'd appreciate a lot your company Sans."

Those days when both shared silly jokes through a door separating them were now in the past. Oddly enough, they had never pronounced their names. Toriel had decided to stay distant, afraid of them recognizing her as the queen and by extension, as Asgore's wife. It became a tacit promise that no matter how much they had gotten to know each other, revealing their identities could only bring suffering.

"heh, same for me toriel. also there's this one place i would like to show you" he reached his bony hand towards her "let's go. i know a shortcut."

Initially Sans had agreed to share only silly jokes, but there were this many things to confess that the solitude of her self-exile hindered her to say. He opened up too, revealing scarce things from his past, many things about his brother Papyrus, and some things about his magic. She quite didn't fully understood how his shortcuts worked, the only thing both had figured out was that he could never go anywhere he hasn't gone before.

The moment they set a foot outside the room, they were already on some park. It was very confusing and made her wonder if her friend did not have a problem to _stand his ground_ with such ability. She kept the inside joke to herself to admire the magnificent night bathing in stars. The place was quiet, the wind through the leaves of the trees and a symphony of crickets made the perfect ambient sound. It was almost like back in the ruins with the vegetation crawling up different arcs and marble structures. It smelled fresh and clean, but then a different aroma came to her nostrils. She perceived the yellow flowers adorning a huge portion in the center of the area. She walked straight on, not realizing her grip to Sans' hand until the skeleton stumbled to keep on with her long strides.

"Oh, I'm sorry"

"no probs, heh. it was me who _skull_ you along."

She chuckled, yet none of them released the other's grip. They walked together towards the patch of flowers surrounding a bronze statue. Toriel's hand abandoned Sans' to cover her snout when she sighted in the middle of the park a big statue. It was of a goat monster on his knees, lunging over the limp body of a human child on his paws. She recognized the symbol on the monster's chest, she saw her sons immortalized in bronze. Tears fled from her eyes when she understood the scene. Asriel was surrounded by the flowers whose Chara used to talk about, his expression was devoid of emotion or perhaps it portrayed the ultimate fatigue, as if he was struggling to keep in one piece his body and the one of his brother. Someone had built a memento of their drama, someone on the surface cared for the tragedy of the monsters trapped behind a barrier for centuries.

"Why didn't we know? Why were we left behind?" Questions left her mouth again, floating in the air, the same doubts that fluttered since minute one they stepped on the street. Those which refused to resolve, elongating her bewilderment, her frustration, her anxiety.

"a little kid free falls down into some old deserted ruins, even the flowers attack them. what does the kid do? they befriend every monster, even those who want to kill them. heh heh when we see it from here it's too farfetched, but while we were stuck down there no one seemed surprised." Sans was also staring at the statue, he depicted a solemn allure even with the hands hidden in his jacket pockets. He shared her emotions despite his permanent smile. "frisk took me here first hour in the morning. it was the very first thing they wanted to show me once the police let me go."

Toriel was about to blame Sans for all the things Frisk had to dealt with once they abandoned the ruins, the kid had suffered through a lot even though she had made the skeleton promise to protect them. She did not say a word. This was not the correct moment. And he was right, no one in their right mind would have act as Frisk did, not even an adult, much less a child.

"only a human who was used to monsters could have reacted as Frisk did. otherwise it could have been a massacre." There was a glint of relief in the last line of his speech, as if the mere thought was a bad memory he would kindly forget. Toriel's eyes were perched to Asriel's shape. She imagined Frisk standing on the same spot in the past, posing the same questions she was dealing with.

"What's the name of this statue? Who made it?"

"It's called the tragedy of two souls, ma'am" a voice behind them explained. Toriel's eyes darted to the dark spot on the wooden bench where it came from. A dozen pair of tiny red lights waltzed before revealing their owner, a monster. The yellow, blue, and gray stripped sweater told them it was a kid, slightly shorter than Frisk. Snakes crawled all over their head, apparently allowing them to see despite that a bandage covering the eyes.

"Oh! Hello there." Toriel approached, the kid pulled up their slim legs to hide them under the now screeched sweater. "Don't be afraid, my name is Toriel. He is Sans."

"sup bud."

"(That's right, they must be underground monsters, there's no other explanation,)" the youngster mumbled in a fake squeaky voice while hiding further into their garment, and then continued explaining. "I th-think it was a local artist who made it. The town wanted to commemorate the anniversary of the peace treaty between humans and monsters."

"I see. It's… very touching" Toriel could not conceal her sadness when she gazed again to the scene. For a long time she had grieved the memory of Asriel defeated, falling on the bed of flowers before turning to dust. This statue, however, made him look like a hero…her poor children.

"hey kiddo, do you seat there all your nights to explain this to whomever passes by?" Sans asserted.

"(Who's this guy for saying that? I'm hardly an NPC!)" the child muttered hiding their mouth with the fabric "Y- you must be underground monsters, aren't you? My name… my name is Luke, as in Lukewarm but you can to-totally call me Luke. But not as in Luck, that's not how you pronounce it." He added in low voice "(Doesn'tmatter, at the end they will call me as they please)."

"Nice to meet you LUKE." Toriel stressed using the correct pronunciation. "Indeed, we came from the underground this morning. It was shocking, to say the less, to know that monsters have been living in the surface this whole time we were trapped." She hid with good manners the bitterness of her words.

"Fr-Frisk saved you!" Luke almost cried standing up, a sudden valor seemed to have posses them "Where are they?"

"where else, at the community center with everyone else. _buried_ in work."

"Tsk tsk I… see what you did there. You are a funny bonny man." The kid giggled, something rattling inside the ball of snakes on their head "Frisk must adore you, bad puns a-are their thing."

"what can i say, people love me _to the bone_." Sans shrugged, clearly pleased for the flattery.

"(No doubt Frisk doesn't have time for Luke now that he's a hero)." The kid mumbled to himself once again, a pinch of sadness in his undertone "but can- do you… mind if I come with you?"

"Of course not my child, after all Frisk's friends are our friends too" and looked down to Sans, who returned the smile.

A point toothy grin emerged in the child's face, even though they were incessantly pulling down their clothing's sleeves as if trying to hide the claws. Before leaving that area of the park, the gorgonian monster stared the statue a couple of minutes.

"Frisk stared at this statue for almost two days before deciding to leave." The moonbeams made it shine as if it emitted a holy energy. "(You should have followed, stupid)."

"I think you are being too hash with yourself, my child. What do you mean with deciding to leave?"

"I… I was afraid. And the oth-others said it didn't- wasn't w-worth it. That's why…. That's why I stayed! (And Luke is a total coward who can't go and say 'congratulations')." Luke talked way too much under their breath, it almost gave the impression they had an everlasting argument with their sweater.

"that's very interesting chum," Sans managed to yawn while still wearing his perma smile. "i would totally listen to your story on another time, now i'm on for heading back and sleeping it real. you follow?"

"But of course. Luke, Frisk was very exhausted and I would not want to disturb their sleep, but I am sure they will adore discussing each other's adventures tomorrow. As for tonight, you can spend the night with me."

"heh heh, you hit on fast toriel" Sans mussed, and Toriel brushed upon realizing what she had just said, but there hasn't been any room for apologies as the skeleton had already taken them through one of his bizarre shortcuts. They manifested in the middle of the common room in the community center, Luke rubbing their snake eyes a pair at a time, half of them had already the lids down. Sans was again on the nest blanket sleeping soundly, no one outside them would know that he had been awaken two seconds ago. Back to her makeshift bed, Toriel noticed how Frisk had concealed themselves more than before, if it was possible. She did not want to inform Luke that the little hump beside her was who this monster kid was looking for. Instead, she led the kid lay on her fur, all the snakes with the eyes closed revealing he had departed to dreamland.

 **Author's Note: Being the surface world a new place it's hard to ignore the existences of new characters. Luke was so fun to write.**

 **I imagine the statue of the Tragedy of two souls in real life size, since Asriel was in his God mode this might be probably even bigger than Asgore.**


	6. Abashed by the truth

**Disclaimer: Undertale belongs to Toby Fox and his amazing team of creators. This piece of writing is only made for fun with no economical gain whatsoever.**

 **[[Welcome To The Surface]]**

 **6\. Abashed by the truth**

"BUT OF COURSE EVERYBODY LOVES PASTA" Papyrus yell woke Toriel up on the spot.

"Not for breakfast…" Apparently, Wand was working again as a volunteer in the community center. The place was lively, with people and monsters coming in and out, carrying boxes or playing around.

"Grandmaaaaa…." Wand moaned at Bocco, who was once again resting on the place Sans had picked as his bed during night. Neither Frisk nor Luke were around.

"Papyrus darling, can you come here a moment?"

"WHAT IS IT MADAME OSTRICH?"

"I find that strong, muscular arms like yours are more suited to building houses than for cooking. Why don't you go with Lasso and Dodge to help Undyne with the construction work? Care to do that for me, honey?"

"WEEEEELL IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE A BAD IDEA…." Papyrus blushed "IT'S THE KIND OF ADVICE I'D GIVE MYSELF, SO I KNOW IT HAS GREAT POTENTIAL."

"There you go." Bocco nodded, mostly to her granddaughter at the back. Who sent her a thumbs up.

"IF THAT'S THE CASE I'M LEAVING TO SEE UNDYNE. SEE YOU LATER BOCCO, LATER QUEEN TORIEL."

"Construction work?" Toriel blinked twice, it seemed like the whole world was arranging itself so fast.

"Your people got enough funds for paying a huge area of forest not so far from town. Don't expect expensive houses, most of them will be made out of coagulated wood and cardboard, but by the end of the month all of you will have a place to stay."

"Oh, those are wonderful news!" and she was happy, indeed, nonetheless she was worried by the disappearance of Frisk. "Have you seen my child?"

"The little gorgon?"

"Ah, hum no. The human."

"Ha, I thought they were born joint at the hip," said Bocco referring to Frisk and Luke "they have been back and fro since early in the morning."

"Did they say—"

"There you are your Majesty." A pink and black robot came by holding a huge milkshake on its hand. It was a wonder it did not spill despite the huge amount of poses its holder stroked per second. Toriel tried to remember its name with no avail. "I had to reschedule all your appointments for the morning because you seemed drained out, but there will be no excuses from now."

"I'm sorry I don't follow…" Toriel managed to say before the robot pulled her up with ease, taking her far from Bocco and young Wand.

"And that's exactly the problem, darling."

"If you see my child could you tell him I need to talk with them?" She shouted before the robot took her outside of the room. The old monster nodded while chuckling, promising she would do in case the kids deigned to appear by there before nighttime.

She wondered if her child was doing fine, eating correctly, if people had welcomed them as it should. People around her reassured in multiples occasions during the day that Frisk was as a fish in the water, most of them admitted the short skeleton accompanying them was charming. She fretted even with a full schedule of activities, some including giving interviews alongside with Asgore, and going to the forest to supervise the works. Toriel could not take out of her head the absence of Frisk.

"Our Frisk is stronger than what you give credit for." After all those centuries, Asgore was still able to read her thought by simply looking at her expression. They had gotten a pause during the commercial break in some talk show where the host invited them for an interview. To her spite, the host had made her sit with her ex husband on the same couch. Having Dreemurr so close was awkward and she felt it some way wrong. "Do you know why no one asks about the souls of the other six children? Frisk has been saying they had talked to the souls, and how they saw the coffins and they interpreted it as a proper burial. About their speech, those children died from falling in the underground. And if Frisk was the sole survivor it's because you nurtured him back to health."

Asgore was on the verge of tears. Toriel felt that she might become the villain if she stayed mad at him. The poor goat was allowing a child to lie for protecting his soul, for concealing his sins. It did not matter how awful or spiteful were the king's actions. He had won Frisk's forgiveness. Why could not she concede hers too?

She patted the bulky back of her ex husband, and the next second he had taken advantage from the situation to hug her back. Toriel felt she was losing her sanity, she no longer loved that monster, but the memories of their life together were stronger than the weight of their lost children.

"That's very interesting guys" the late night show's host interrupted them from his desk. "I would love if you keep the drama for the cameras. We are on in thirty seconds."

As if their contact burnt them, both goat monsters untangled to pretend that embrace never happened. The host talked about the anniversary of the treaty between monsters and humans, and of how delighted he was of living in the city that started it all.

"We all know that the old texts say the barrier can only open by using seven humans soul. But who could have guess these lovely monsters were still in there after this many decades?" He hand gestured towards the Dreemurr's, the show audience clapped overwhelmed with emotion. "It's a miracle you haven't eaten each other down there, amirite? How was it to live that much time underground?"

"It was… pretty claustrophobic, to say the least." Asgore intervened. His polite smile was discordant with the sadness in his eyes.

"To keep all those monsters with hope! This guy us a friggnin' hero!" The host claimed, and audience stood up to cheer. Asgore was on the verge of tears, swarmed in shame. Toriel, fearing he could confess there and then the truth, dared to squeeze his paw. He looked back at her with aspiring hopes, as she smiled reassuringly, feeling deep inside a liar. The public appeased their cheers to allow the host talk.

"I have to say in the name of mankind that humans would no doubt have broken the barrier before but, in all honesty, we thought we were dead long ago! And since the terrain was dangerous… you know, several children going missing in the vicinity, no one approached to Mt. Ebott for decades. I guess you have already visited the tragedy of two souls." He prompted, referring to the statue of Asriel and Chara on the park. Unintentionally, Asgore put his paw on Toriel's shoulder. She appreciated the gesture.

"We have." He started "They were our sons."

"You may not know this but, the city changed its name in honor to Johanna Cebark, who was born in here where it was nothing but a town. She witnessed firsthand that very day the injustice that happen upon the princes. She became a huge monster rights activist." People applauded at the host, but Toriel could not stop wondering if that woman had even tried to stop the mob to beat Asriel to death. "She exceeded so much pressure in Lieutenant Perkins, that the prisoner monsters were released within the years to come."

"I know she helped a lot." Toriel had no filter for her emotions "But what was she doing when they killed our child?"

The host went silent, the joyful ambient had totally gone. A somber aura took the place of those recent cheers.

"She stopped the mob from following the prince, Toriel." The host nodded, condescend. "She was just a teenager, and they beat her so badly that she limped the rest of her days."

"I'm so sorry…" Toriel repeated several times while failing to contain the tears, Asgore's paw was still on her palm.

She thought back at that woman, putting herself between the horde and an escaping Asriel, wielding whatever object she could find as a weapon. Was someone by her side? Did she call for help? Probably no one came. Through her determination helped their son to come back, provided them the opportunity to give at least a good bye.

The host went further talking about the actions of Cebark the Hero. People loved hearing of her great deeds. Some attendants stood up to applaud and never went back to their seats. Eventually the conversation drifted, to their demise, to their relationship. Several people from the public asked why Asgore and she were no longer a couple, it was bitter to hide the harsh reality. They masked their sins with mundane problems as the everlasting pipes clogged with fur or the tiring bad puns. This prompted someone else to mention how Sans the skeleton was a master in those kind of jokes, and how Toriel and him should meet.

She made a couple of puns about it before declaring they were already friends. She pulled on propose her paw out of Asgore's for shrugging, it didn't matter which movement, she only wanted to forget that for just a minute they could come back together as the couple they used to be.

It was late when the show ended. The host offered them a cab for going back to the community center. When Toriel and Asgore went out of the studio there was a police car waiting for them. A child wearing a blue sweater with pink stripes step down immediately.

"MOM!" Frisk glomped on Toriel, burying the face so deep on her fur that it was impossible to them to keep breathing.

"Goodness my child, I am so glad to see you again." She hugged back as if they haven't seen each other in ages "though this is not the hour for having a someone your age awake."

"Good night. We couldn't keep Frisk in bed when I told them I was going to pick you up." Officer Prance followed up. The weather was cold enough for wearing a leather jacket. "I wanted to invite you all to dinner, unless you have other plans?"

He wanted to make up for the rough warning from some days ago. The man was not severe this time, on the contrary, he seemed quite embarrassed when he motioned to the police car. Toriel could see Sans and Luke on the copilot seat waving at her, he sent her his characteristic wink.

"c'mon tori, don't let us _hungrying_ here."

Officer Prance noticed Asgore was still standing beside her.

"Uh… King Asgoat, isn't it? It will be a little packed in there but you can totally come as well." A tiny fake smile flashed under the man's mustache.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I will have to decline your offer." Asgore tried his best to do not look at Toriel. He was probably expecting her to support the idea, or reject it. Whichever the reacting his ex wife gave, the result was always the same, so why bother? "Mister Host called a cab for me and… I have some business still with the… in the community center."

Toriel knew he was lying, but again, she did not want him to push his way back into her life. She could not allow him to hurt her anymore. She would not allow him hurting Frisk either. The child was finally again on her arms, and this was the sole thing that mattered.

When she hopped in the police car, someone else greeted her on the backseat.

"HIII MISS TORIEL, IT'S BEEN AN ENTIRE DAY SINCE WE DON'T CROSS EACH OTHER"

"Greetings Papyrus, apparently I excel at dodge because it seems… you have been missing me so much."

"ARRRG I KNEW IT."

"yeah pap, it wasn't toriel intention to _ruin_ your fun."

"SAAANNNNSSS!" The tall skeleton flailed the arms up, hitting the ceiling with comical outcome, everyone but officer Prance was guffawing.

"Please don't damage the car." He smirked, eyes glued on the road. Luke mentioned they would never have the wit to make up good puns, to which Frisk encouraged saying that it was easy, the possibilities of good ideas were never _marrow_.

The rest of the trip was full to the brim with jokes of similar caliber, to Papyrus' dismay.

 **Author's Note: Arg, I had forgoten this story! As I said before, this has been sitting in my computer for a while, it's just sometimes I don't gather the courage to update it. Sorry for the wait!**


	7. Enticed by curiosity

**Disclaimer: Undertale belongs to Toby Fox**

 **[[Welcome to the Surface]]**

 **7\. Enticed by curiosity**

Once they arrived, the kids were so worn out they no longer had the energy to even be hungry. They barely ate a sandwich before heading to bed. Frisk was feeling down for not at least share some more time with their mom, but Officer Prance assured them that tomorrow they were going to compensate this. He had come with the idea of take everyone to the arena. The kids were so eager to show Toriel and Papyrus the battlefield, that they rushed upstairs were they had planned to share room with the officer's daughter.

"Tomorrow's my free day, so it's the perfect moment for showing you around" Officer Prance was biting his nails furiously. Toriel's good manners detained her to complaint about it. "I have my daughter Cristal who has a competition early in the morning. I will show you the room where you will stay and you can make yourself at home."

They followed upstairs to the room at the right end of the hallway. A tiny chamber with blue walls and a humble wardrobe, a big bed taking most place on the floor surface.

" _Queen_ size, the perfect fitting." He mentioned with a fatigued tone in his pun. Then he looked at the skeleton brothers. "As for you, I was thinking in making some space in my closet".

Sans burst in laughter while Papyrus face palmed, but soon he was shushed by the Officer , who pointed at the room were the children were sleeping. Shrugging the entire conversation, the man went to his own room leaving the three monsters to share the single bed.

Papyrus did not have a problem about sleeping with Toriel, even if it was a kind of weird. In which case Sans volunteered to sleep on the couch. Nonetheless, by the time the sun rose the next morning, the younger brother had managed to pull the older one into bed also. Toriel was an early bird, she endured a couple of minutes more under the blankets before deciding it was too warm on the matters. Moving the less possible, she abandoned the room to leave the skeleton brothers for a longer rest. Downstairs, Frisk and Luke were already awake. On the table, there was another human child, a girl slightly older than her Frisk. A red mane attached in a ponytail resembled a lot to Officer Prance's, who was making breakfast for them.

"Good morning!" Frisk waved the hand from their stool by the kitchen table. Luke's snakes writhe even through their owner was giving her the back. The girl smiled shyly before jumping from her stool to present herself.

"I'm Cristal, nice to meet you."

"Hello Cristal, my name is Toriel." Up until then the goat monster noticed the three kids wore matching armors. They had purple shoulder pads, kneepads, and elbow pads. A tick black fabric protected their chest and arms. By the entrance door laid two purple helmets that protected the face with a grid along with small heavy-duty boots of matching colors.

"What a lovely attire you have there."

"Today is my tournament. Thanks ma'am for allowing Frisk and Luke participate with me."

"Participate?" Toriel was puzzled to which her child face was expressionless as always. Officer Prance wiped his hands with the dishrag, and placed another plate on the table with two waffles. Luke did not wait to pour a generous amount of syrup on them. Cristal turned around immediately to claim that the warmer waffles were hers.

"One of Cristal's team went sick, and Frisk offered to help. And Luke absolutely wanted to fight alongside too." The Officer shrugged while putting a couple of waffles on Frisk's plate.

"Fight? Why would they fight?"

"It's a competition. I said yesterday that we wanted you to see the arena. I'm sure Papyrus will love it, there is an area full of puzzles and traps."

"Is it dangerous?" Toriel was starting to feel anxious.

"No, it's completely safe. The equipment gives easily a plus thirty of defense." He pointed at the helmets on the floor. "It's safer than letting the boys go in adventure by themselves, even though we can't stop that from happen."

"I'm going in adventure next year dad." Cristal overheard their conversation and decided to participate on it. "If Frisk could do it, I'm doing it too."

"We'll discuss that later bunbuns." Officer Prance was clearly amused for something out of Toriel's understanding. He changed subject inviting the goat monster to seat on a bigger chair he had prepared, and went upstairs to wake up the skeletons.

"What does he means by going in adventure?" She asked Frisk. The kid was devouring waffles in silence, they had the mouth so stuffed that it was impossible for them to talk. Luke prompted in their place.

"It's normal to kids to go on adventure. I started mine one year ago!" he was eager to go on, until he continued mussing under his breath "(it's a shame Luke is a lame player)."

"You are cool Luke." Frisk finally talked.

"I know you lie Frisk. (People lie.)" They muttered, failing to hide their mouth in the absence of the usual sweater. Later he continued to explain Toriel. "W-we even had a team. Frisk was the hero, I was the healer, Anna was the magician and Wh- whippe… well h- he was a huge do-dork."

"NYEEEE, WE ARE GOING TO BE LATE." Papyrus screamed from upstairs, probably up to date with the plans for the day and giving his last attempt to wake up his lazy brother. The fuss didn't allow Toriel to ask further about Frisk's life before going down into Mt. Ebott. She knew they would have a lifetime to discuss it, but curiously had already touched her.

 **Author's Note: Wow, almost two months without updates and such a short chapter. I'm really sorry, real life got me stuck for months and months. But I won't give up this story! Is it true the fandom is dying? I hope not :(**


	8. Abashed by violence

**Disclaimer: Undertale belongs to TobyFox and all the magnific people who worked in that amazing project. I'm just borrowing their ideas and concepts to make something that gives me no economic gain.**

 **[[Welcome to the surface]]**

Abashed by violence

The arena was more amazing of what Officer Prance had described. The entrance hall was nothing extraordinary but, once they went inside the main area, there was a huge maze of wooden walls taking the place of most of its surface, perhaps as long as some halls in the ruins. The enclosed arena was sky open, and a gentle morning sun was starting to heat the room. The kids checked in with their trainer before leaving to the dressing room. The rest went up the grandstands to witness the competition. From above it was possible to see how the maze was a labyrinth made out of several materials. Some barriers were wooden carved, as others were trimmed bushes or had a metallic shine. Marble pillars here and there seemed to have only decorative propose as well as the vines and nets through the entire place.

"WOWIE, LOOK SANS! IT'S ALMOST AS GOOD AS OUR PUZZLES IN SNOWDIN". Papyrus was jumping up and down overexcited on his seat. He was pointing at one area were a long path of the floor was replaced by metallic spikes. It looked menacing. "SURELY UNDYNE WOULD LOVE THIS PLACE."

"nah, i think she has other fish to fry."

"WAIT A MINUTE, IS THAT A PUN? NYAAA, IT'S NOT FUNNY SANS."

The announcer declared the beginning of the competition through the loudspeakers. The contestant came from the aisles next to the maze. Frisk, Luke and Cristal scanned among the audience for their family. Toriel was easy to spot once standing up, so they waved cheerfully both hands. After that, they went to their places by the entrance of the maze side by side, with the other two teams. The contestants were in equal number monsters and humans, most of them just above Frisk's age. The announcer counted back from ten through the loudspeaker. A crane placed meticulously a dummy wearing a blond wig and a bulky blue dress with glitter, on the most unreachable corner of the maze. The count went down to zero, an alarm bleeped. The participants rushed inside the maze.

Frisk dandled between the traps with ease. Other dummies wearing heavy armor rose from the floor or fell from the ceiling. They were fully movable and wielded all kind of weapons. The pillars revealed to be traps also, stretching maces pivoting them, spikes protruding, or shooting needles. One spinning mace passed inches from Frisk's face, the kid bend backwards to duck, and then managed to spin their body out of the spot where a gate opened under their feet. The audience was amazed with kid's ability to dodge. Toriel wanted to scream whenever one doll hiding behind another lunged with a knife. Not a single one stabbed the kid thanks to Cristal, who came to the rescue with a magic shotgun. The girl handed a baseball bat to her child. Instead of swinging it, Frisk used it as a shield. Luke was neither attacking, they bounded themselves to using blue magic in the form of snakes to make them gain time. Cristal was less merciful; she did not spared a single dummy doll with her gun. The audience cheered with every cotton ball massacre in the field, almost as with the same eagerness than upon seeing Frisk uncover another deadly trap.

"You are not scoring points, Frisk!" Officer Prance stood up a little exasperated. "Destroy a couple of dolls for goddess sake! The dolls are not alive, they move with magic!"

The rest of the audience started yelling as well, prompting her child to feign murder in the dolls. In a moment, they had synchronized to chant. "Fight", "Fight!""FIGHT!"

Apparently, Frisk listened between dodged hits. A rabid smile flashed on their face. Toriel's heart skipped a bit, as if she remembered what she thought was a bad dream. Frisk attitude changed completely. A simple wooden bat became a mortal weapon in the child's hands. A couple of clean hits were enough to bash the fist doll that came to their encounter and, after destroying a couple more, Frisk was able to turn their opponents into rags with a simple movement of wrist. The audience went crazy, and soon everyone was standing up to cheer for the purple team. Toriel could not believe her senses, it was already unnerving how the surface encouraged children to fight, but what really touched her was seeing Frisk actually having fun at the hypothetical carnage. A child who had gone through the underground without hurting a single soul was capable of such a massacre. Once the purple team reached the princess in record time, she was trembling inside. She glanced at the proud expression on Officer Prance, and tried to emulate it out of empathy. However, when she looked at the skeleton brothers she understood her restlessness was right. Papyrus was flabbergasted; there was a hint of deception on his face. Sans on the other side, was furious.

They witnessed the award ceremony with certain remorse. Cristal's team won first place, a one hundred gold check that the leader generously donated for the construction of the underground monster's houses, and a badge that raised special defense stats. Toriel did not see when Sans left his place, she noticed too late when the skeleton reached Frisk to take them back with them.

"welp that's it. we're LEAVING." It was odd to see the usually laidback skeleton grabbing the kids arm with such rudeness. Frisk however behaved as if they deserved the mistreatment, her child was ashamed of having enjoying the battle.

"Wait up there pal, we've got to celebrate the victory. Lunch's on me." Officer Prance's gaze darted between his daughter almost lost in the dispersing crowd and his guests.

"nah, it's good. the show _killed_ my appetite, and Frisk must have a _stab_ of homework to _attack_."

This time only the officer laughed about the puns.

"Sure. See you around I guess." As Prance looked around Cristal and Luke caught them up. The girl highlighted her medal when her father picked her up. She gave it to Papyrus to inspect it, they were excited about what was she going to do with it.

"You should totally inscribe Frisk in the competitions, they are a natural."

"i know" there was not a single trace of pride in Sans' words. Her child had lowered their head in shame, the skeleton had not let go of their limp arm.

"We appreciate the offering, but I would like to raise this child as pacifist. Fighting skills, as astounding as they are, I think no one should be forced to hurt intentionally."

Frisk gathered the courage to look up at her, Sans let go of them so they could go hug her. Officer Prance nodded condescending.

"I agree. And this world needs more pacifist than warriors, that's a fact. Now who wants some ice cream!" Cristal, Papyrus and Luke threw their arms to the air at the same time. Shyly, Frisk raised a hand with the face still hidden in mother Toriel's dress.

"welp. i guess we can't _scream_ no to ice cream."

 **Author's note: It's been a year since I wrote this story. Back then it discouraged me not getting any comments, but I realized that even through I no one reads this, I may as well publish it complete.**


	9. Knowledgeable about the world mechanics

**Disclaimer: Undertale belongs to TobyFox.**

 **[[Welcome to the surface]]**

 **9.** **Knowledgeable about the world mechanics**

The ice cream store had a wonderful variety of flavors. In the underground, it was roughly golden flowers and crabapple flavors, so it was shocking to find someone had invented a butterscotch and cinnamon ice cream. It was exactly like the pie but creamier. Sans ordered a banana split only for the sake of making puns out of it, rendering Papyrus mad in the process. Officer Prance got a simple frozen yogurt. Papyrus had the same ice cream sandwich that Frisk had chosen.

"Are you only having that?" Cristal was struggling to keep in balance the five scoops tower her dad had bought for her "You will only recover 10 HP."

Frisk nodded giving a shy bite to the chocolate and vanilla sandwich. Luke was mumbling something under their breath again, so low that Toriel did not catch what was the fuss about until the kid hissed at their friend.

"Like what happened to your level!?" The gorgon monster was very distressed, and for once they didn't care if the other customers were looking at them in surprise. "You were the strongest of us four, how come you went back to level one?"

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? THIS HUMAN HAS FACED ME, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AND I CAN TELL YOU THEY ARE PRE—EETY STRONG."

"No offence my friend, but underground monsters are very weak. Look." Officer Prance patted the skeleton's back with empathy and proceeded to ask a random slime monster that was passing by with several ice creams on a tray. "Excuse me sir, you look like a tough guy and I hope you don't mind if I ask your stats?"

"Well thank you, though I know you only say it for being nice." The slime blushed slightly under his sticky golden surface. "Believe it or not it's just an attack of 40, but my defense it's a no-tell."

"Wow. You look attack 50 at least." The slime giggled at Prance's compliment. "Thank you for being honest."

"Whenever you want, darling" and then winked at the officer before leaving.

Toriel did not fully understand that conversation. Do stats on the surface was a subject to brag about? Was there another form to level up without exploiting the level of violence?

"There you go Papyrus" he took a spoonful of his frozen yogurt before getting closer to gossip "and to tell you the truth, slimes are the lowest in status up here."

"Dad is almost level thirty," Cristal boasted with the mouth full of cream "and I reached level seven two weeks ago!"

"Frisk was level eleven the last time I saw them." Luke felt the urge to defend the position of their friend, all their snakes pointing menacingly at the girl.

"Says the one that can't go further than level three."

A rattling sound came from somewhere inside Luke's head snakes, their cheeks changed to a blackish tone. Cristal's soul turned green.

"alright, _chill down_ folks." Sans intervened turning both blue, Officer Prance did not show signs of being upset for Toriel's friend actions. The kids didn't take back the mean looks from each other "hey i'm trying to help here heh heh don't give me the _cold shoulder_."

"SAANS, THIS IS SERIOUS. WHY EVERYONE IS SO POWERFUL IN HERE?"

"I don't _mint_ being level one." Frisk intervened, licking the rest of the sandwich from their sticky fingers. "It's a great _ice breaker_." The pun was so out of situation that it cracked the other kids.

"You are ok at level one Frisk." Luke's soul turned back to their usual grey, they could barely hold it from laughter. "(Luke's the one that should have level up when you weren't around)."

Whatever happened to Frisk to have lose their levels, Toriel was thankful of it. She hugged her child, happy that they had preferred to stay weak and chose the pacifist path. Somehow, she managed to put in the back of her head the fact that the child once was LV11 and everything this meant.

"Cristal, you could learn a couple of things from Frisk here and be more humble. Maybe I should reconsider letting you go in adventure with Luke if you don't get along as supposed."

"Daddy pleeeasssee" the girl was in the verge of tears.

"WOWIE, IS CRISTAL GOING TO AN ADVENTURE TO MEET THE WORLD, FACE THE VILLAINS, AND SAVE THE DAY?"

"Sure I was considering it. She's been training for two years already."

"CAN I COME?"

"huh pap, i don't think you understand…"

"OF COURSE I UNDERSTAND! THE GREAT PAPYRUS HAS TO OVERCOME HIS LIMITATIONS. AND YOU SURELY DON'T WANT THESE CHILDREN TO TAKE THE RISK GOING WITHOUT AN ADULT."

"and by adult do you mean… who?"

"Yeah, back to the adventure!" Luke jumped to stand on the table. The owner of the shop yell them to get down from there, so the kid sat back on the chair and hid further into themselves out of shame.

"Yes dad! Papyrus can train, and learn a lot about the surface world, and I can protect him too." Cristal darted her wishful gaze between Prance and Sans. "Luke can cure us all. And you have seen how amazing Frisk is even at level one."

The emotion of the moment died with the last line. Toriel understood that her child was in their plans, and a heavy weight sank in her heart upon thinking she did not have a word for stopping them to go with their friends. Her child caressed her fur before talking.

"I have things to do here, and I want to stay with mom."

Toriel's tears of joy poured on the child's head, she nuzzled her muzzle on their head under a torrent of kisses pouring from her mouth.

"Sans?" Officer Prance was tired of resisting his daughter's urges of adventure. Now all eyes were on the little skeleton whose somber eyes reflected a deep thought.

"just a quick question, how did you raise your level?" and an ominous feeling took them out of the joyful ice cream shop to somewhere darker.

"You acquire it by fighting enemies, how else? You defeat them, you win EXP and money." Officer Prance scrapped the bottom of his cup for the last drop of melted yogurt.

"Does that mean they have to kill to gain LOVE? Does that mean you have killed someone?" Toriel put in more sincere words for what Sans wanted to ask from the beginning. It was anguishing to think how once she wished to come to the surface, idealizing it was a peaceful place to live.

"K-KILLING?" Papyrus was starting to retract from his proposition.

"LOVE? No one- ah, I see. You are completely wrong. You don't need to kill to win experience. It's more a matter of learning how to deal with situations in the future."

"Level of violence is different than Level of skill. No one kills in the surface." Again, Frisk was the lighthouse of reason in this new mad world where underground monsters just arrived.

"B'sides, ki-killing is what the bad guys do." Luke gathered the courage to speak, still afraid of being yelled again by the shop owner.

"Those are taken to prison, right dad?"

"I thought we had already had this conversation Miss Dreemurr". Officer Prance addressed to her wrong again, the same way than a couple of days earlier, probably to refresh her memory. "Some criminals are hard to deal with indeed, because they have high LV from LOVE. But we can rise the Lvs by training, by doing puzzles, by studying magic, it depends of your profile. You are only allowed to harm in combat, and you are supposed to stop whenever the opponent asks for mercy."

Sans eyes regained color, as plain white as they were. He shrugged, and the mood relaxed.

"welp. i think it went pretty intense there. couldn't _grind_ it enough, sorry." Sans didn't let his brother say a word about the pun before going on "sure pap, why not? go on adventure. you are cool bro, you deserve it."

Papyrus's eyesockets shone in joy, and he started planning how he was going to make victory spaghetti to celebrate the new adventure they had ahead. Cristal proposed everyone to place their hand on the center of a circle, Frisk made part of the rite by popular demand. They pressed down a little before raising it all the way up while chanting "Go team!"

Author's Note: Apparently there was an error upon uploading this in the docs manager. I don't have an idea of why this happened.

Thanks a lot to Silversun XD for the support!


	10. Thrilled by the puns

**Disclaimer: Undertale is property of Toby Fox. This is a work of fiction and it was made just with purpose of entertainment.**

 **[[Welcome to the Surface]]**

 **10\. Thrilled by the puns**

Office Prance had other things to do for the rest of his free day, so he drove everyone back to the community center, promising to share a bigger celebration before his daughter's departure. Cristal wanted to spend the more possible time with Frisk and Luke, and her dad allowed her to stay the night at the community center as long as she behaves.

"Finally you show up." At the entrance of the center, Lasso greeted them coldly, not even caring to take the eye sockets out of his smartphone. "There's someone at the office who wants to talk to the queen… or ex queen, whatever."

Toriel always worried too much, she thought something was wrong when she knocked at the director's door. A calm voice invited her to go in. She imagined it belonged to the same monster she had meet in the police station, the specter who worked with Officer Prance, but then she noticed how this monster was slightly more transparent.

"Well kick me in the kisser if it's not the fluffy cheeks queen Toriel" and he came up with an unexpected hug. "Look at you! Last time I saw you, you were smaller than a basket of apples."

"Uh…? I am afraid. I might not remember you…"

"For the love of cotton candy, how come you don't remember your beloved caretaker anymore?" The monster crossed arms and pouted at her, but he immediately chuckled "I'm kidding my jewel! My appearance was more vivid back then. Maybe the name of Lulao rings a bell?"

Suddenly, the memory of an ogre playing dollhouse with a younger Toriel came to her mind. Lulao was her nanny when she was just a little goat monster, long time ago before the war. Now the monster had passed away, but somehow he had managed to stay in the world as a ghost. Not all monsters passed through this phase, most of them turned to dust once their life cycle was done.

"I saw you in the news, the lateshow interview. Been following you since day one and holy molasses, I loved your story!" Lulao was very touchy whenever he was excited, Toriel was unsure about how to react at the excessive contact. She managed to sit back at the office table expecting the distance could keep the tentacles out of range. "I think you said you wanted to become a teacher, amiright? I saw it coming since when you were nothing but a sweet pea, it's just something you have in your veins."

"Yes. I would love to teach children."

"Then it's your lucky day my _goatling_ , I'm looking for someone to help us with the teaching programs about underground story at the institute. You know? I'm the principal."

"That would be wonderful."

Lulao continued discussing her functions for still a good half an hour, and then he offered Toriel all his support for adapting life to the surface. The ex queen wasn't going to have a class right now, for the school year had started a couple of months ago, but the specter wanted to integrate her to the faculty by the next year. This could give Toriel enough time to catch up with surface popular culture, history and scientific advances. Toriel was stunned of how easy things were coming along.

When they finished discussing, Toriel left the office with a huge smile across her face. She didn't expect to find a standup comedy show in the middle of the community center. Someone had built a metallic platform and she could see Luke and Papyrus directing the reflectors from behind the audience from each opposite corner of the room. The monsters had gathered around Sans and Frisk who enacted with community center's light green wall as their background. Apparently, the sketch involved the kid hitting on the skeleton.

"Which means you are _shin_ gle? I have a gut feeling we can _rattle_ something together."

"welp, i am. but i'll make no bones about it kid, you aren't my type."

"You sure have a _spine_ for saying so to someone like me. It gives me the impression you have skeletons in the closet."

"that's close to the bone my friend, and just when i was starting to flesh out things with you."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to _coxal_ you. I've just realized your beauty it's not only skin-deep."

"You are just throwing bones at me."

"I'm not that tick-skinned! You have cast me with your at- _ribs_ -butes. Do you have something to do to-marrow?"

"oh i cal- _see_ -um… you go to the meat of it. Go try jawboning that on somebody else, bonehead."

It was so funny to see both throwing puns at each other, that Toriel was laughing out loud along with the audience, before disapproving the nature of the dialogue. The sketch lasted a couple of minutes more until Frisk managed to set a date with Sans, then they bowed for an audience. No one could stop clapping. The robot from the morning, whose name Toriel had learnt was Mettaton, got under the makeshifts reflectors to present another number from the official comedian in MTT Resort. A Snowdrake wearing thick framed glasses came to the scenery doing a gracious monologue about his impressions about the surface. Toriel was so into the show that she only realized Frisk was by her side when the child pulled her dress asking her to lift them up.

"You are a natural for comedy, my child." She looked around for Sans. The short skeleton was chatting with his friend Alphys in the hallway. Soon, Undyne and Asgore joined the conversation. She was too far for catching what they talked about, but Toriel unintentionally turned the head the other way when the king noticed she was watching.

"What is it?" Bocco came besides her, stretching out the neck to gaze over the crowd. "Your ex?"

"Hum… it is nothing."

"That was a good one, Frisk." Bocco ruffled the kid's bob with her wing. A feather was left stuck in their hair. "I heard you flirted your way out in the underground, where did you learn that?"

"Back in home, I guess." The kid shrugged as if the comment was not important. This left an odd feeling in Toriel, who had never heard her child mention their origins. Was she hampering the child to go back with a family? She did not dare to ask, but the question nagged her the rest of the night.

 **Author's Note: There's a lot of intrigue about the flirt option in the game, I honestly wonder what could pass in the child's mind for thinking that flirt in combat was a good choice.**


	11. Oblivious of the past

**Disclaimer: Undertale belongs is Toby Fox's mind child and all the praise and profit belongs to him. This work of fiction in purely a fan creation.**

 **[[Welcome To The Surface]]**

 **11\. Oblivious of the past**

After one week from the day they came up to the surface, Toriel had now many unexpected impressions about this new world, about its inhabitants, and about her child. Apparently, about one year ago, Frisk had gone to adventure with Luke and other two children. They stopped at Cebark for some reason, reaching the statue named 'the tragedy of two souls'. Her child stared at the memento for two days before making the definition to head Mt. Ebott. Their teammates did not agree to go with them. Luke was the only one who promised waiting for their return.

A month later Frisk fulfilled the promise, but now they had become ambassador of the underground monsters. Toriel looked back at the silhouette of the brave child sleeping beside her. They shared the sleeping bag with the gorgon child. Their lidless eyes were hazy. It was the sole hint Toriel had for knowing the kid was sleeping. Inside a whirlwind of thoughts invading her mind, anxiety was taking its toll. There was not any hint as for why Frisk had gone down Mt. Ebott in the first place.

"Can't sleep again?" Sans had made Bocco's empty nest his official bed now.

"Oh, I hope I did not wake you up." It was early in the morning and the sun had not arisen yet, it was still too soon to start the day.

"nah. i'm awake." He said, even though he had the eye sockets closed. "do you feel like hanging out?"

"…yes, let's go."

He stood up at such speed that in a blink he was waiting for her by the main entrance, his signature smile bigger than the usual. Toriel unraveled the blankets making less noise as possible and then she walked out with him. She gave him the paw and, by the next second, they were in a place Toriel never expected to see again, Sans had transported them directly on top of a bed of golden flowers in the underground ruins.

The aroma of buttercups mixed with the cold night burned a little her nostrils. A sense of tragedy and nostalgia clenched her heart. She turned at the skeleton with a mixture of wariness and curiosity.

"What are we doing here?"

"i always wanted to see your side of the door." It was so silent, that the clacking of Sans' bones when he shrugged echoed around. She had lived in those ruins for more time than she could count, she knew every corner and every hiding spot, all of them traced a map in her memories. She couldn't get to hate her self-imposed imprisonment. This had been her home for so many years. If it wasn't for Frisk, who knows if she would ever gather the courage to stop Asgore or to meet face to face with Sans. Sharing this place with her skeleton friend was the last thing that passed thought her mind when she used to tell him pranks behind the door.

"Sans, I need you to ask you something about Frisk." In the darkness, only the spots of Sans' eyes were barely visible. He was about to lift the spirits with a pun, but Toriel cut him straight. "You know something about them that no one tells me."

For a couple of minutes, some liquid dripping on the rocky ruins was the only noise filling the air. Her friend's silence was an invitation to the sense of dread from which she was running away. Maybe she had _touched a nerve_ on Sans. She held chuckling from her inside pun. But once he started speaking, there was no longer place for laughter.

"there's an anomaly of the space time continum in the underground."

For whatever Toriel was expecting to hear, this was way on the bottom of the list. He continued with his most serious tone.

"you may think it's the first time we get to the surface but, according to Frisk, this has happened so many times the kiddo has lost count of them." Sans invited Toriel to take a seat on the bed of flowers, because what he was about to explain was a story actually longer of what it lasted in reality.

Sans started referring to the child story as 'the anomaly'. He told her what Frisk had confessed him some days ago. One day, the child woke up where they were standing now, on that very bed of golden flowers. Without a single memory of who they were or what they were doing in that place to begin with, they wandered off until they met Toriel in the ruins. Frisk thought that maybe there was a place they could call home on the surface; it was nothing but a vague idea. They kept going out of sheer determination to figure things out.

They followed the path towards Asgore following their internal voice. At first, they reacted to the dangers in the underground as any person from the surface would do: they fought. Under Frisk's perspective, monster down there were up for murdering them. So Frisk killed froggits, childrakes, and tsunderplanes for protecting themselves. Then they faced Asgore, and then they won.

However, crossing the barrier eventually took them back to the flower's bed at the ruins once again, remembering every action from their previous attempt to escape. Frisk thought that by recreating their journey to the castle, it would give them the same results. However, it was impossible to repeat the same patters. They changed little things here and there, sometimes involuntarily. They took different approaches, said different things, killed or spared different monsters.

Over and over again.

They came back to the bed of flower whenever they crossed the barrier. Frisk no longer was sure in which timeline they had said this or that, at some point this made them hesitate over their actions about if they were heading to the correct path. More than once their hesitation took them back to the bed of flowers even before reaching the barrier or facing Asgore. Frisk matured during this journey, because they lived the same route for such a long period of life.

Eventually, this endless circle made Frisk grow into despair. They knew all the underground monsters at such extent, that they considered them a new family. Nevertheless, not even kindness can overcome repetition. If monsters had a claustrophobic feeling for not being able to see the sun, it was easy to imagine how Frisk felt trapped underground and on top of that in a time loop.

They grew tired.

Then the child took a path that they are not proud of, a genocide path. Toriel couldn't believe her ears about the atrocities her gentle child had committed, from when they felt they were above the consequences. After leaving the underground empty and passing through the barrier, they were back on the same restart over the bed of flowers. She believed in Sans' words blindly, especially since they were a confession of her child. More than ever, she wanted to hug Frisk and tell them that whatever burden they had carried it was not the use. They needed to know she forgave them for killing her in another timeline. Now the tears couldn't stop flowing down her cheeks.

"frisk was so ashamed that they were ready to reenact the nicest person in the world a thousand times for washing up their sins. it wasn't necessary, because when fighting asgore for once SOMETHING had changed…"

Toriel raised her head to look at Sans pausing the story. His smile was authentic and up to his eyes.

"it was you."

"What do you mean?"

"you came to save them from committing the mistake of killing the king one more time."

For Toriel it was very unreasonable to leave a kid wander alone through the underground. She had made that mistake with the other children, six souls that she had let go while she hid in exile as if that was doing any good to anyone. After hugging Frisk at the outskirt of the Ruins, Toriel's guilt pushed aside her fears and made her return to the castle to protect her child. She didn't waste time in Snowdin or Hotland, she head to New Home believing in her _pun pal_ 's promise to keep an eye on the child during their journey.

She couldn't have been more thankful when news came to the city about the child who had befriended the robot that appeared on television. Toriel headed then to the castle and arrived to the barrier just in time to save the child. It was something that had to be done, and the idea that in another life… in another timeline she had neglected Frisk as she had done with the other children… it repulsed her.

 **Author's Note: I've read a lot of fiction where Sans is completely aware of the resets and angst ensues. However, I like to think he's just good to figure things out by people's reactions. Frisk eventually confessed Sans about everything and the skeleton decided it was not worth risking the kid's reputation for something that technically never happened.**


	12. Introduced to nostalgia

**Disclaimer: Toby Fox created Undertale. This is a fan work made for the sole propose of entertainment.**

 **[[Welcome To The Surface]]**

 **12\. Introduced to nostalgia**

"B-but Frisk, do you mean… they know that I died?"

Of course, the child knew. That is why they were so reluctant to fight Toriel when she ordered them to either act or go back to their room.

"heh, everyone died by their hand at some moment. you can see it on their face, they repent for something that, to us, never happened." As the Earth kept rotating, a shy beam of moonshine entered the cave to light their surroundings. A ladybug came to lay on Sans' skull. The pollen floating around them gave the whole scene a fairytale-like vibe. For a moment, Toriel had the impression of seeing another fallen child on the ruins, helpless and lost.

"I have an idea! Come with me, I want to show you my place." Toriel grabbed Sans' hand to lead him trough the vast blackness of the ruins. The core was off, so not even the lamps were working. She could have light some magic fire but, honestly, she knew the place by heart. She wanted to brush those ugly thoughts aside. Hearing that Frisk had murdered was weighting her heart, knowing that her child had killed her was too much to deal. One day, the kid may open up and confess her their sins, but now she knew what to expect when that moment arrives. Underground monsters should not affix to the past, they should try to find new ways to get used to their lives in the surface. They should be happy.

Sans did not put much of a resistance about her pulling him. It was almost as if the conversation had drained all his energies. As for Toriel, it was almost like the day she had picked Frisk from the golden flowers to lead them through the ruins for the first time. The froggits and whismurs had left. The puzzles had been de-activated. It was the easiest route she had ever walked in the underground.

"Here we are." She lit some magical fire to show her house. Orange leaves had scattered over the stairs and porch, she pretended it wasn't important. A tinge of nostalgia urged her to look at Sans for reassurance. The passive smile in her skeleton friend gave her some comfort.

"There is some non perishable food left in the shelves, I can prepare us something for breakfast."

"heh, heh, we should totally knock."

"and who would be there?"

"Woo!"

"Woo who?"

"don't get too excited, it's just a knock knock joke."

Soon Toriel guffaw echoed through the empty ruins. The ex queen knocked twice for the fun of it. Of course, no one answered.

"I'm sure it will be Doris."

"…doris who?"

"The Doris locked, that's why we knock."

Surprisingly the door was _not_ locked, as Toriel remembered she had left it. She tried to conceal her unsettledness and invited Sans in while searching for candles in a drawer.

"Please stay where you are. The stairs are just in front of you and I would not like you to fall in there."

"alright… mom." Sans mussed sarcastically. Toriel was about to retort when her friend apparently started talking with someone else "hey bucko, if i were you i would keep those pellets in check before things turn ugly."

She found the candles and lit the whole package as fast as she could. Sans right eye was shinning blue, all his glare focused on a yellow flower by his feet. Something was familiar about it, even so Toriel couldn't quite put her finger on what exactly was it. As a manifestation of her emotions, her fire was getting hotter and the wax in the candles melted down at unbelievable speed, pouring on her bare claws. Yelping a curse, she threw the bunch at the floor. She failed to shake the warm wax glued at her fur. Her fire would never burn the house, that was the point of it being magical, but the candles didn't last long on the wooden floor.

"are you ok?"

"Ye-yes, it was just an accident. I didn't take much of my HP." She was more embarrassed for the mess on the floor than for the pain. She scrambled another drawer on the shelf to take out new candles. This time she lit them carefully one by one and arranged them on a candleholder. The flower had disappeared.

"sure?" the worry in her friend's tone was replaced by suppressed chuckling. "i didn't know we were having this kind of _oath-_ meal for breakfast."

"Sans! It was- it slipped my tongue." The skeleton always found a way to lift the mood. This assured her everything was fine. "Who were you talking to?"

"nah, it's not important. maybe i was talking to myself." He put the hands in the jacket pockets to bounce his feet to and fro, that was the kind of gesture that revealed he was lying.

"Sans please, I thought we were going sincere now."

"heh heh, you know what, you are right." Sans' eye shone again in the darkness, he raised his left hand while looking at something behind Toriel. She turned around to see a cage made out of magic bones gleaming in blue. The prisoner was a big golden flower with a very funny face that soon distorted into a menacing one.

"Let me GO you idiotic smiley trashbag!" It raged, it trashed but it continued trapped inside.

"you must be my brother's advisor. sorry _bud_ , i can't say it's nice to meet you."

She had heard once from Sans that his brother Papyrus used to discuss things with a flower. He had expressed concern about the odd ideas this flower put in the younger skeleton and how worried he was about this. However, Toriel had never expected his friend was talking about the same flower she had seen sometimes in the ruins. She shouldn't be surprised, the underground was small and the number of monsters living there was very limited. Even if she had never crossed face to face with the flower, there was a bizarre feeling of sadness upon looking at it.

"Sans release him." After mouthing this stern order, she was taken off about how bossy she could become. Maybe a reminiscence of her days as Queen, but it was mostly because she had remembered something important.

The day the barrier was broken, the day she arrived to the throne room just in time to save Frisk, she remembers having seen a golden flower before the child fainted. The next minute, a huge white light devoured the room and they were free for once and for all. It was obvious that since a human's soul could not possibly break the barrier by itself, this particular monster had played a huge role in their freedom.

Nonetheless, Sans didn't comply to her orders. The flower started threatening him with very foul language, which resulted in the skeleton shrinking its moving space. Realizing how she sucked as a ruler, even more than Asgore, she felt helpless for a minute. Then the flower said something mean about Frisk and that was it. Toriel headed straight to Sans. At first, she had thought in pinching his arm, but knowing about his low HP made her change her mind. Instead, she pulled him up by the hoodie.

"I said stop it."

He was so startled that he let go of his attack. The flower started laughing as if it had won the argument. Without letting go of her friend, Toriel turned towards to the little creature to pull it by the petals.

"And that's not the way we refer to other people young one." She didn't care the flower grunted and kept gripping the floor tiles with its roots, she pulled harder until it was completely helpless out of the ground. Toriel knew somehow that she wasn't harming it. She headed to the kitchen with both of them still under her grasp. The flower yelling and trashing, while Sans quietly accepted the reprimand. She ordered them to take a seat at the table, and surprisingly both complied without any fracas.

"heh hehee, it's funny because you have just been un- _grounded_." She heard Sans breaking the ice while she went to the kitchen to prepare something to breakfast. The flower hissed at him before going back with its offensive discourse. For a moment, she wondered if Frisk would get upset upon waking up and not finding her beside them. She tried to brush aside those feelings of incertitude by looking what could still be edible in the pantry. Eventually, the flower asked about her child, and the question seemed sincere. Sans started narrating the events from the last week, about the other monsters living in the surface and the recently discovered history of a human-monster truce thanks to a female human leader. The flower said something… unsettling.

"That foolish woman… she barely stopped the humans when she faced them with nothing than a stick. She should have known better though, it seems idiocy is a quality for heroes." It took Toriel a while to understand they were talking about Jhoanna Cebark, the human who fought for monster's rights and granted some of them their freedom. How come that flower from the underground knew about that story?

 **Author's Note: Longer chapter. It's been a while since Jhoanna Cebark was mentioned in the story. She was a human who helped Asriel and Chara back then to return to the Underground when the townspeople attacked them. Their actions were considered heroic several years later, so they named the city after her.**


End file.
